FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amy Burton
  212-261-6796 / amy.burton@harpercollins.com

America’s Beloved Comedian Celebrates His Experience Becoming a Grandparent for the Very First Time!

I Already Know I Love You

By Billy Crystal

Illustrations by Elizabeth Sayles

Grandparents everywhere dream of the experiences they’ll have with their grandchildren—seeing their first giggle, playing peekaboo, exploring the wonders of nature and even taking them to their first baseball game!

As a first-time grandfather-to-be, comedian and actor Billy Crystal had those same feelings of expectation. He decided to put his thoughts into a beautiful new picture book that children, parents and grandparents could enjoy together and that his own new grandchild, Ella, would love and treasure.

I ALREADY KNOW I LOVE YOU (laydown: April 13, 2004) describes the parade of feelings that comes with being a grandfather for the very first time. Beginning with anticipating the new baby’s arrival, this book celebrates all the moments, great (seeing the Yankees) and small (making funny faces), that a new grandparent is ready to share. In his words, readers will recognize the warmth and humor that Crystal projects to the public in his work, and Elizabeth Sayles’ dreamy pastels complement his heartfelt text.


Billy Crystal is an Emmy Award® winning comedian, director, actor and author. He charmed children and grownups alike as the voice of Mike Wazowski in “Monsters, Inc.” and starred in the hilarious movies “Analyze That,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “City Slickers.” Crystal is the father of two grown daughters, Jennifer and Lindsay, and lives with his wife Janice in California and New York.

Elizabeth Sayles, whose work is characterized by soft pastels, has illustrated several picture books for children, including Won’t Papa Be Surprised! She lives with her husband and daughter, Jessica, in Valley Cottage, NY. You can visit her online at http://home.earthlink.net/~saydow.

Byron Preiss Visual Publications, Inc., which produced the book, has previously worked with HarperCollins on Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.

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